This technique enables Dr. Diego to see the heart and blood in motion. It can be used to evaluate the heart for many different disorders, including:
- Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
- Damage to the heart muscle, possibly after a heart attack
- Infection in the sac around the heart or in the valves
- Pulmonary hypertension (increase in blood pressure in the arteries or veins of the lungs)
- Abnormal valve action
- Congenital heart disease
- Heart murmurs
- Blood clots associated with stroke
An echocardiogram uses Doppler ultrasound to create an image. It is one of the most widely used tests in cardiology, and can provide a great deal of information about the size and shape of the heart, pumping capacity, and tissue damage. An echo can also help determine whether certain symptoms such as chest pain are related to heart disease.
If the doctor is not able to get a clear picture because of the interference of other body organs or structures, he may use a contrast medium (substance injected into your veins). An echo is often used during a stress test, to assess how well the heart functions when it’s working hard.
Dr. Diego may recommend echocardiography if you have signs or symptoms of heart disease, such as shortness of breath or swelling in the legs. Echocardiography can also help your doctor investigate heart murmurs, which may or may not be a source of concern.
- Access through your institution
Four adult patients ranging in age from 37 to 72 years with cor triatriatum diagnosed by two-dimensional, spectral Doppler, and color flow imaging are presented, including a previously undescribed “acquired” form after orthotopic heart transplantation and the oldest documented patient with cor triatriatum. The echocardiographic features of cor triatriatum with use of surface and transesophageal imaging are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the color flow findings. Color flow imaging has simplified the diagnosis and assessment of cor triatriatum, including the demonstration of other often-associated congenital cardiac anomalies.
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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.
Cited by (12)
Acquired Cor Triatriatum Sinister After the Fontan Operation and Successful Resection in a Child
2017, Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Cor triatriatum sinister may also be an incidental finding if the communication is not obstructive. The acquired form is even more uncommon and has only been reported in sporadic case reports after orthotopic heart transplantation [2–5] or as a complication of infective endocarditis in adults [6]. These cases occurred secondary to hypertrophied atrial tissue [5], suture lines, or torsion of the atrium [3].
Surgical repair of severe mitral valve regurgitation complicated by incomplete cor triatriatum
2014, Journal of Cardiology Cases
Therefore, the obstruction is thought to be severe in early-onset cases, and mild in late-onset cases. Table 1 shows adult patients with mitral regurgitation and cor triatriatum reported in the literature [4–16]. Almost all reported cases were Lucas-Schmidt IA type of Cor triatriatum, which has no atrial septal defect, and three were IB type, which has atrial septal defect between the accessary chamber and the right atrium.
Case 6-2008 An Unusual Case of Right Ventricular Failure After Orthotopic Heart Transplantation
2008, Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia
The susceptibility of the newly transplanted right heart to acute increases in afterload can lead to rapid deterioration in right ventricular function, as observed in this case. The echocardiographic findings associated with acquired cor triatriatum include 2-dimensional (2D) images of the supravalvular obstruction along with color-flow Doppler and spectral Doppler evidence of a pressure gradient between the proximal and distal chambers of the left atrium.7 In the presented case, 2D TEE images showing a supravalvular obstruction at the anastomotic line and color-flow Doppler evidence of proximal flow acceleration at the level of the anastomotic ridge were highly suggestive of acquired cor triatriatum.
Recommended articles (6)
Copyright © 1991 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.